I came away from Sunday’s Oscar telecast with a new-found respect for Anne Hathaway. I’ve liked her for a while now (ever since I saw Rachel Getting Married and I realized that she’s a really good actress), but her cheerful attempts to be a good host in the face of James Franco’s general lazy douchebaggery won my heart. Anne is a good girl. And when she want on Oprah to dish, she even said nice things about James, which she didn’t have to do. She could have sold him out and I would have still respected her. But she kept it classy, and good for her. Anyway, one of the highlights of Anne’s hostessing of the Oscar was all of the fabulous dresses and jewelry. I assumed that all of the stuff was just borrowed, and that Rachel Zoe (Anne’s stylist) had simply pulled some strings with some of the big designers to get Anne some good stuff. Anne told Oprah that while some of the stuff was just borrowed from various designers, other gowns had to be “built” from scratch, just for her. And that’s not all, according to Us Weekly. Their sources claim that all of Anne’s borrowed jewelry came from Tiffany’s, and that Anne GOT PAID (for real) just to wear all of this stuff:

Hathaway has a way with bling! Anne Hathaway scored a major bonus when she wore glitzy jewelry from Tiffany & Co. while hosting the Oscars on Sunday night.

An insider tells UsMagazine.com that the actress, 28, was paid a whopping $750,000 to wear the baubles at Hollywood’s biggest event.

The Love and Other Drugs star wasn’t the only A-lister making bank on Oscar night, either.

Another source tells Us that Gwyneth Paltrow — who performed “Coming Home” during the show — netted a sweet $500,000 to wear earrings, a brooch and ring from Louis Vuitton’s “L’Ame du Voyage” collection.

It’s not the first time Paltrow has been linked to lucrative, hush-hush endorsements. In late 2009, sources told Us Weekly that the actress was compensated to help promote the lavish Hotel La Mamounia in Marrakech, Morroco.

Reps for Paltrow, Hathaway, Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. all tell Us the payment claims are “incorrect.”

[From Us Weekly]

I’m guessing that the numbers are too high, especially in Goop’s case. Anne probably did get some kind of endorsement deal from Tiffany’s, but my guess is that it was probably lower to mid-six figures, not $750,000. As for Goop – wow. I guess luxury brands still want to be associated with her, for whatever reason.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

When Britney Spears’ new video, “Hold It Against Me”, dropped last week, many of us noticed that in addition to the sketchy editing and the even sketchier dance moves, that the video seemed to feature quite a lot of product placement. Sony, Plenty of Fish, Make Up Forever and Britney’s own fragrance, Radiance, were all included in various fast-cuts, and now TMZ/PopEater reports that Britney made $500,000 off of those product placements:

While some fans are shaking their heads over the blatant product placements in Britney Spears’ video for ‘Hold it Against Me,’ the singer isn’t sweating her critics. In fact, she’s laughing all the way to the bank.

TMZ reports that the pop superstar raked in a cool half a million dollars for prominently featuring a number of brands in the video, including Make Up Forever cosmetics, Sony, dating site Plenty of Fish and her own fragrance, Radiance.

Spears has heard from her fair share of detractors in the industry over the video, including Katy Perry, who tweeted about the obvious product placements, “do it w/style & grace…Not so in ur face like some. U hv to get creative w/it. Some artists don’t care tho, & u can tell.”

One group that isn’t complaining is Spears’ advertisers, who are already reaping the benefits of their investment.

Plenty of Fish has already reported a 20 percent increase in traffic to their site since Spears debuted her video last week.

[From PopEater]

So… I guess that goes to show, Britney can still sell. She can sell even when she’s not selling herself or her music. I’m a little surprised that Sony got on board, but all of the other products make sense, I guess. If you’re Britney, they make sense. But I’ve got to wonder – why? Britney isn’t some struggling pop artist. $500,000 is just her yearly strawberry frap pocket money.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

The National Enquirer has one of the more interesting “Brangelina Fighting Constantly, Empress Zahara Calls Her Attorneys” stories that I’ve seen in a while. Instead of making it about other women or exes or costars or tell-all books or bejeweled cardboard swords for Shiloh, or even gerbils of doom, The Enquirer claims that Brad and Angelina are fighting about something incredibly relatable: money. Now, Brad and Angelina are two of the highest paid stars in Hollywood, and even if they each do only one film a year, that’s more than most of us will see in a lifetime, times 20. But, apparently their lifestyle choices (chateaus, endless renovations, nannies, security, gerbils, etc) are an enormous cash-suck. Which… I’ll believe. I’ll also buy that Brad and Angelina might have let some of their staff go. What I don’t buy is that Brad is the one who thinks they should pinching pennies – between the two of them, Brad seems like the one who blows his millions of dollars on art and toys and endless, multi-continent home renovations. Here’s the Enquirer’s take:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are fighting over money – and it has led to their most vicious blowup ever! Pals say things got so heated between the battling couple that Brad walked out on Angie, screaming “I can’t take anymore! You’re breaking us up!” before flying to France in a rage.

“Right now Brad and Angie’s love affair is hanging by a thread,” says an insider.

With mounting debts and crushing overheads to fund their lavish lifestyle, Brad is “demanding that they reduce household staff, scale back on travel, artwork, expensive wine, buying up the most buzzed about scripts and books in Hollywood, and rein in their charitable donations,” said the insider.

While their combined net worth is around $250 million, another source maintains, “they’re spending more than they’re bringing in.”

“Brad recently fired one of his most trusted employees as well as the children’s French tutor, telling them, ‘I can’t afford you anymore.’ It’s hard to believe two fo the biggest movie stars in the world need to pinch pennies, but they are facing some harsh financial realities just like millions of other families all across America.”

They allegedly travel with six nannies, three security guards, a private chef, and a small army of doctors, nurses and up until recently, tutors. They also maintain houses in Malibu, New Orleans, Missouri, Cambodia and the $60 million French chateau. And they’re building a ranch in Namibia!

They were considering adding a $40 million Italian villa, but “Brad nixed that, and he’s overseeing renovations on the French property to possibly prepare it for sale.”

An insider says World War III erupted when Brad told Angelina they would have to cut costs: “When Brad warned Angie about money, she called him selfish and petty.” She threw in Brad’s face his plans to go on a lavish VIP trip to Dallas for the SuperBowl. “he was livid about that…[and it became] the fight to end all fights.”

After the fight, Brad stormed out and flew to France, to their Chateau Miraval, which he’s threatening to sell. “Brad thinks he could sell the chateau for a big profit, which would help their cash flow.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition]

I should mention that in other tabloid coverage of Brad’s trip to Chateau Miraval, other sources described it as an act of love, that Brad is overseeing some renovations so that Angelina’s favorite home will be just perfect. Whatever – Brad’s a total property slut. He loves buying property and renovating it again and again through the years. It’s his hobby. And it’s an expensive and time-consuming hobby, but it makes him happy.

Anyway, I just thought the story was interesting because I often wonder how many people are full-time staffers of the Jolie-Pitt household, and how much all of it costs. Let’s just go with the basics: I think the J-Ps have a lot of security, and their bodyguard bills probably reach into the seven figures annually (IMO). They have… maybe four or five specialty tutors for the kids, but do they even work full-time? And then Angelina has one assistant that I know of, and Brad has… God knows. Plus, staff at every home, right? So, yeah, they’re employing a hell of a lot of people. Ridiculous.

One last thing – The Daily Beast sent us this explicit denial from Angelina’s representative in Washington (?). Apparently, the British papers were reporting that Angelina was trying to adopt a 4-year-old girl from Haiti. Angelina’s rep Adam Waldman tells The Daily Beast: “Earlier this week, the Daily Mirror U.K. and others reported that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are in the process of adopting a child from Haiti…There is no truth to these rumors. Rather, Ms. Jolie is focused on enhancing the welfare and legal protection of children within Haiti. As such, she has been meeting with government of Haiti officials, Haitian legal experts and non-governmental organizations regarding a new initiative of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. The recently launched Jolie Legal Fellows Program will assist the justice system in Haiti to improve child protection.”

Photos courtesy of WENN.

We’re gradually learning that Taylor Armstrong is the Teresa Giudice of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She’s spending money she doesn’t have, and we’ve heard that her husband filed for bankruptcy five years ago and that they live in a rented house. Well it goes deeper than that, and Taylor’s husband Russell Armstrong has been convicted of felony tax evasion and has been sued multiple times for setting up bogus investment companies and bilking investors of millions. With all that in mind, Star has a story this week about how Taylor and her husband are having “cash flow” issues. Meaning Taylor keeps throwing expensive parties with all the money her husband worked so hard to scam out of other people.

Star has learned that [Taylor and Russell's] infamously rocky five-year union is now being wracked by serious financial problems as well. “He can’t get the cash to flow lately,” an insider says of Russell, who filed for bankruptcy in 2005. “It’s a huge blow to his ego.” Taylor, 39, who recently signed a $6.5 million branding deal, has taken on more and more of the family’s expenses without complaint. “She just wants Russell to be happy with her,” says the insider. “Instead, he’s starting to resent her.”

[From Star, print edition, February 21, 2011]

That article was worded so kindly that it sounds like it’s straight from Taylor’s camp. It’s not like anyone is bothering to gossip about her unless she plants stories herself. She’s preparing us for something major that’s about to come. The other shoe is going to drop and we’re going to learn more about Russell’s shady business dealings and/or Taylor is preparing to divorce him. If she makes more money than he does, she’s probably sees it as a natural next step. It’s not like there will be any love lost between them.

Also – check out Taylor Armstrong’s vanity website. It’s ridiculous and so funny!

Thanks to Commenter Felicity for the tip! Header photo from 1/10/11. Other photos from November of 2010. Credit: PRPhotos

I put this story in the links earlier, but there have been even more developments, and now it’s become a “thing”. Ugh. I can’t even describe how much I hate writing about Bristol Palin. To me, she’s worse than Kim Kardashian. At least you know what you’re getting with Kim Kardashian – a cat-faced famewhore who got famous for a sex tape. With Bristol it’s all lies and hustling and the grift. So, the basics of the story: Bristol Palin was invited by a student group at Washington University to be part of a panel discussion on abstinence and teen sex and such. Bristol wasn’t making an appearance on the panel out of the goodness of her heart, though – it is rumored that Bristol’s speaking and appearance fee would be more than $10,000. When the Washington University student body was informed of Bristol’s potential appearance (and it was “potential” as it does seem like no appearance contracts were drawn up), the students revolted, mostly over the idea of their money being spent on Bristol. So… Bristol was dis-invited. And of course she’s a snot about it.

One thing Bristol Palin is NOT abstaining from is engaging in a war of words with the university that dumped her from a paid speaking engagement about abstinence. The 20-year-old single mom was dumped by Washington University after a student uproar over her invitation and speaking fee, which was not revealed but estimated to be as high as $20,000.

Now Bristol’s lawyer has release this statement to RadarOnline.com, slamming the university and even suggesting the Palin name is the real reason she was dumped.

“Bristol was invited to speak with college students as part of a panel. Evidently she has now been disinvited because of apparent concerns by some vocal members of the undergraduate community,” the statement reads.

“Bristol is deeply disappointed that an institution that publicly claims to “listen to diverse and sometimes conflicting perspectives, to contribute rigorous academic standards and unbiased scholarship to discussions, and to encourage a civil discourse in which a pluralistic society can respectfully address complex and difficult issues” would withdraw an invitation to a speaker because of “uproar” over their assumed content of her message or even worse, because of her last name.”

[From Radar]

Every day brings a new martyrdom for this family of grifters. Here’s an idea, Bristol: Instead of nailing yourself to the cross at every opportunity, why don’t you OFFER TO SPEAK FOR FREE? Wouldn’t that quiet your critics? That way, if they still didn’t want you to come even when they weren’t paying you, THEN you might have a reason to don your crown of thorns.

Nevermind.

Thankfully, Radar was able to get a statement from an outraged and well-spoken student:

As RadarOnline.com previously reported Palin’s scheduled appearance was cancelled following protests. One student claiming there were 563 signatures on a petition against Bristol and just 7 students standing in favor of her. One student, Ryan McCombe, 20, who is studying economics and strategy at the University, explains why he took an anti-Palin stance.

“The issue meant a lot to me because I am a registered Republican and my vote went to Sarah Palin, but most of this didn’t have anything to do with politics – this isn’t about it being Sarah Palin’s daughter,” He told RadarOnline.com. “This is about paying an exorbitant amount of money to someone whose life has improved because of teenage pregnancy. Bristol got pregnant at 17 and is cashing in on that, she’s not someone we should be hearing from. I want to hear from someone who had dreams and goals that were put on hold by teenage pregnancy – instead, her life has been improved financially and publicity-wise. It’s very interesting how a 20-year-old who has only a GED can afford a 5-bedroom house. We don’t want our student union money going to her mortgage, we’re promoting responsibility.”

“She’s promoting ‘do as I say, not as I do,’ and I don’t agree with that. The story she has to tell doesn’t line up with the reality of the situation. She may say ‘I had all these dreams and they weren’t realized’, but she has been way more successful simply because she got pregnant at such a young age. She wouldn’t have been invited on Dancing With The Stars if she hadn’t gotten pregnant as a teenager. I have no intention of funding Sixteen And Pregnant or Teen Mom either!”

When it comes to Palin’s agreed fee, student government sources say they were ordered not to disclose the exact amount, just that $20,000 was allocated to cover the costs of the ENTIRE panel. However, it’s unlikely that the other panel members, Planned Parenthood, the Catholic Student Center and the Student Health Services were being paid for their appearance on the panel – leaving a sizeable chunk of change for Palin, even after all other costs, such as venue rental, were met.

But not every student was against Bristol – Scott Elman was one of the student representatives that were campaigning on behalf of Bristol speaking, and he explains to RadarOnline.com: “The Student Health Advisory Committee promotes safe sex goals and trying to reduce unwanted pregnancy, we thought no issue could be discussed fully without talking about abstinence.

“We thought that having Bristol, would attract a lot of students to come to the panel and promote discussion about safe sex and abstinence. We didn’t want to do as it was a publicity stunt, but thought someone who has gone through teen pregnancy and an ambassador for Candie’s Foundation, which promotes abstinence would be more than qualified to talk. Our goal was to engage the student body as much as possible. We were surprised by the reaction, we expected some controversy but never expected it to get so out of hand. We think people hear the name Bristol Palin and just think of her mother.”

“Some people don’t think she’s qualified just because she had a baby as a teen but I don’t think they realized why she actually is qualified or why we chose her. We expect students to be open to another point of view and we’re a little disappointed in the way they reacted and the overall message was getting lost. Bristol, her agent, I and the committee decided that it wasn’t the best time to have her speak. I think Bristol is upset but she understands the message that she’s trying to promote is more important than her personal feelings. I am very disappointed that she’s not coming. No contract was signed we were just in talks. I totally believe that Bristol has a strong message to share and that she has turned her story into a positive message that people deserve to hear in a balanced environment. I personally don’t believe in abstinence and we’re not telling people to think that but there are people who do and they’re unrepresented on campus.”

[From Radar]

Let the ass-covering begin. Honestly, it warms my heart that students were able to wage a successful campaign to dis-invite Bristol. I also love that a 20-year-old student was capable of making a well-reasoned, thoughtful and rational argument for dis-inviting Bristol. MSNBC should hire that kid.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

In last week’s National Enquirer, there was a longer story about Regis Philbin’s sudden resignation from Regis & Kelly. According to the Enquirer’s sources, it was all a Regis hissy fit over money. As it so happens, the Enquirer’s sources seem pretty on-target. PopEater reports that Regis is leaving in huff for a combination of reasons, some of which include a contract renegotiation that went bad. Also a factor: Regis thinks he’s God‘s gift, but no one really gives a crap.

There’s a new twist in the surprise departure of Regis Philbin from ‘Live With Regis and Kelly,’ and as you’d expect, it centers around money. Loads of money. Regis fired his longtime manager, Jim Griffin, right after telling viewers he was quitting, and sources say he made the move because he was insulted by a proposed pay cut.

According to TMZ sources, Regis makes between $18 and $20 million a year. I’m told it’s a bit less than that, but regardless, an insider tells me that’s “more than double” what Kelly Ripa receives. ABC producers wanted an adjustment for Regis’ new contract, and Jim Griffin went to work on negotiations.

“Regis was insulted by the offer he got and chose to leave, blaming his agent on his way out,” a television exec tells me. “The problem is the world has changed around this legend. Regis thinks he’s being pushed out for someone they can pay peanuts to. The problem is if he thinks he’s going to get anywhere near that sort of money doing another show he should think again.”

Regis, 79, announced the news on last Tuesday’s episode of the hit show, saying that he will leave the program sometime in late summer.

He apparently told Kelly about his decision 15 minutes before they went on air. While initially she was said to be stunned, she is now apparently furious and feels he showed a total lack of respect for her.

An insider with knowledge of the situation tells me that ABC wanted to retain Regis but also felt that Kelly had proven during his medical leaves and frequent days off that she could thrive without him.

“The writing was on the wall when Regis got sick and the show’s ratings did not decline,” my source says. “When it came time to renegotiate his contract again, the producers knew the show would survive with or without him and offered him way less than the multimillions he had become accustomed to.”

Regis has said he’s not quitting television, just the show he’s helmed since 1983. ABC will announce his replacement in the coming months.

I was at ABC studios in New York just hours after Regis made his announcement and an executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity told me that producers have been “unofficially testing” out possible replacements for a while, but that they haven’t necessarily found Kelly’s partner yet.

“The show can definitely survive without Regis if they find Kelly the right new co-host,” an ABC exec tells me. “For some time they have been unofficially testing out potential replacements on the show. Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper and even Kelly’s husband, Mark, have filled in; yet no one was as good as Regis.”

[From PopEater's Rob Shuter]

It’s interesting that Kelly is allegedly pissed. It’s also interesting that Regis thinks he’s the biggest thing ever and the executives are like “So, are you going to be around later? Because we’re auditioning your replacement.” You knew it was going to be bad when just after Regis announced his retirement, there were already several big names being floated as a replacement. I really like the idea of Anderson Cooper with Kelly – they are really funny and cute together. Mark would be okay… but Kelly needs someone she can be bitchy and sassy with. That’s Anderson. Neil Patrick Harris too, maybe.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Radar had a report earlier this morning about what exactly went down between Lindsay Lohan and that Betty Ford employee (now former employee) Dawn Holland, who Lindsay attacked in an alcoholic rage. It was as everyone suspected – “someone directly associated with Lohan’s camp” (MOTHER CRACKHEAD) said that they would pay off Dawn. The price: $25,000. Only that money never came. And chaos ensued.

The fired Betty Ford worker who accused Lindsay Lohan of criminal battery secretly cut a $25,000 deal with the Hollywood actress’ camp after refusing to testify against her, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned. What’s more, a source also tells us exclusively that Dawn Holland fired her Los Angeles-based attorney Keith Davidson on Thursday afternoon after the payday never materialized. Davidson told RadarOnline.com that he is no longer representing Holland and says the decision was “mutual.”

The source continued: “Dawn agreed to a $25,000 payment from someone directly associated with Lohan’s camp,” a source with knowledge of the situation told RadarOnline.com. “Dawn wanted the amount paid upfront. But Lohan’s camp wanted to spread it out over a period of a few months, paying her in installments. That didn’t suit Dawn, so the parties then agreed, in principle, for Lindsay to participate in a sit-down television interview with Dawn.”

The plan was for Dawn’s camp to shop the interview to various media outlets.

“When the deal didn’t materialize, Dawn became frustrated, fired her lawyer and engaged new legal counsel.”

When asked by RadarOnline.com for comment, Davidson said: “It is true that Ms. Holland and I are not working together on this case or any other, and the decision was mutual. Without confirming or denying that there were in fact civil settlement negotiations, if in fact there were negotiation they would be confidential, and I would therefore be prohibited on commenting on it.”

It is not immediately clear if Lindsay was aware of the deal.

According to Holland, a drunk Lohan, 24, and two other female patients tried to sneak back onto the rehab’s premises by jumping a wall but were caught by security. But Holland, a recovering addict, retreated from the explosive charges she first made in a paid interview with TMZ.

As RadarOnline.com first reported, Holland told law enforcement she wanted charges of battery against Lohan dropped and then-lawyer Davidson said “nor will she be assisting any further in the investigation or prosecution”. The source stopped short of saying that the payment to Holland was struck to buy her silence and cooperation, a situation that would likely have legal repercussions.

The Riverisde County DA still has not made a decision on possible charges against Lohan from the Betty Ford incident with Holland and the Los Angeles County Probation Department and a Beverly Hills judge could still find that the troubled star violated probation.

[From Radar]

Just a few hours after this report came out, more sources “close to Dawn Holland” went to Radar and gave them more interviews. They claim that there never was a specific “deal” with Lindsay or Team Lohan. A source tells Radar: “There was never even a deal set in place to begin with; it was an idea. There was no deal. It was never brought to Dawn. She never got any friggin’ specifics, that’s the problem. That is the problem that is the issue here. That is why she sought another attorney.” Apparently, Dawn and her first lawyer did discuss the idea of a payoff, and that Dawn was “aware” of the negotiation because she’s in dire need of money. She’s broke, and Betty Ford is withholding her workman’s comp.

So… why didn’t Dina just pay the relatively paltry sum of $25,000 to make this go away? Did they not have the money? Isn’t Lindsay staying in a $8000-a-month rental so she can stalk Samantha Ronson?

Photos courtesy of Fame.

CB has been doing most of Charlie Sheen stories lately, so I’ll admit to being somewhat out of touch with the daily catastrophe of Charlie Sheen. There was something about an ear STD, right? And now he’s not even showing up for work…? Yeah. Well, it comes as no surprise, but Radar is starting a new round of Charlie-hiring-some-hookers stories. It’s all pretty much what you would expect – Charlie Sheen is coked out of his mind and hiring multiple hookers because why not? It’s not like he’s a father or he has any kind of personal or professional obligations. Oh, right. Anyway, as I was glancing through Radar’s latest report, I noticed all of the cash that seems to be flowing like cocaine up a rolled-up $100 bill. Charlie Sheen is spending A LOT of money on his hookers. He’s even buying them special presents! Such a gentleman.

A drugged-up Charlie Sheen spent $26,000 on three escorts from one Las Vegas agency during his infamous weekend bender in Las Vegas, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned. What’s more, the Two and a Half Men star was so smitten with one hooker who goes by the pseudonym ‘Ginger’ that he paid her $10,000 for a four-hour sex romp, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

He also purchased Ginger — who he found on a website and emailed her, touting his ‘A-List’ status — a brand new pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses! Sheen, 45, showered two other escorts with $8,000 each in separate and earlier trysts.

The actor booked Ginger from 9am on Monday, January 10, meeting him inside the $40,000-a-night Sky Villa that he rented at the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort in Vegas.

“Ginger said Charlie was high on cocaine when she got to the room and continued to do drugs in front of her,” the source told RadarOnline.com. “He was totally out of it and clearly had been partying all night long.”

Ginger left the hotel at around 1pm.

Sheen’s rendezvous with the escort was during the same weekend bender in which he hung out with at least three porn stars including Bree Olson, as well as Jesse James’ ex-mistress Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee.

The troubled Hollywood star returned to Los Angeles the day after his wild sex session with Ginger, flying back on his private jet and to the set of the hit CBS sitcom.

“Charlie told Ginger this wasn’t just a one night stand and that he plans to reconnect with her during the next time he is in Las Vegas,” the source added. “From what she has said, she had a very good time with her and she is just his type.”

While Ginger advertises herself online as an independent escort, she actually works for a major Las Vegas agency, revealed the insider. On the website, which pimps out women to men that can afford their pricey services, Ginger asks possible suitors: “Are you looking for an unforgettable experience?”

The woman who is said to be 21-years-of-age also touted herself as offering “100% great service!”

[From Radar]

Here’s my question – and you’ll have to excuse me, I’ve never done coke – after all of that cocaine, would Charlie even be able to get it up? I know some people (coughcoughPamGriercough) get all coked up to screw, but can we all agree that Charlie is taking it to a new level? I mean, the image I have of him is with a bottle of tequila in one hand and a mountain of coke in the other. It seems like he would be too blitzed to even function in general, much less get hard (and maintain it).

So… what is Charlie paying these women for, if he in fact can’t get it up? It honestly sounds like an okay deal. $8,000 for four hours of sitting around a fancy Vegas suite, watching Charlie do drugs and maybe catching up on some catalog shopping.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

I’ve always had the impression that Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez lived way about their means. They’re obviously multimillionaires but you hear a lot about their life of excess with multiple mansions and lavish parties. Anthony owed about $2.5 million in back taxes to New York state in 2007 after he failed to file returns for four years in a row. When these two received a reported $6 million for their first photo spread with the twins (in People) they didn’t seem to donate any of it to charity, because if they did you know we would have heard about it. I assumed back that that Anthony and Lopez used the twin photo money to pay off their tax debt.

Now Anthony is in trouble with the IRS again, and owes a total of $3.4 million in federal and state taxes.

New York authorities filed a demand for $1.8 million in back taxes against Marc Anthony on March 29, 2010 in Nassau County, Long Island. Just three months earlier, a federal tax lien for $1.6 million was placed on the same property owned by the I Need To Know singer.

It’s unclear if Anthony has settled the debt and requests for comment from his lawyer and manager were not returned.

Facing debt in excess of $3.4 million, it’s the latest tax trouble for the mult-millionaire musician, 41, who married J.Lo in 2004.

In 2007, he was ordered to pay $2.5 million in back taxes, after ignoring the tax man for four years.

Anthony claimed it was the fault of his business management company and ultimately paid the fine, however, his financial team plead guilty to a series of tax felonies.

[From Radar]

So if Anthony already got busted in 2007 for failing to pay taxes, you think he would wise up and hire someone decent to manage his money and ensure that his taxes got paid. He can’t just blame other people for it this time.

The Huffington Post points us to a 2008 article in People Magazine that estimated that Jennifer Lopez makes about $20 million a year from her fashion and merchandising deals while Anthony brings home about $11 million. Lopez’s American Idol contract is said to be worth about $12 million.

The Lopez-Anthonys just bought a a new $10 million estate in the Hollywood Hills. It is 17,129 square feet and has nine bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a media room, recording studio and guest houses. They also own two mansions next to each other in Long Island and a condo in Miami. How can they be bothered to pay taxes when they have so many mansions, staff, cars and luxury goods to maintain?

Back when Life & Style reported that the Teen Mom castmembers earned $60,000 a season, I wondered how MTV could show these kids barely scraping by, bouncing checks and relying on social services like free daycare to make ends meet. It turns out that they make much more than $60,000. Rageaholic star Amber Portword was ordered by a judge in her domestic violence case to state her salary, and it’s a whopping $140,000 for each six month contract, not the $60,000 we’ve heard. That doesn’t sound extravagant by reality show standards, but it is far in excess of what we’ve heard. MTV has so far refused to comment on the salaries of the Teen Mom stars and I guess we know why – the numbers in no way reflect the “reality” that they present on the show.

A reporter for The Herald Bulletin was inside the jail as Portwood exited. The reality star seemed surprised by the number of reporters outside, and instructed her mother, Tonya Portwood, and her grandmother to keep their chins up. She also told them not to block their faces from the cameras.

Earlier in the day, Portwood appeared before Madison County magistrate Steven Clase via a video feed from the jail for her initial hearing.

During the hearing, Portwood told Clase her occupation was a “television personality” and he asked her to reveal her annual income.

Her attorney, Kathleen Sweeney, responded, “I object.”

“You what?” Clase asked Sweeney.

Sweeney questioned the relevance of the question and Clase promptly overruled the objection, forcing Portwood to reveal that she makes $140,000 for a six-month contract with MTV.

If she works the entire year, Portwood said, the 20-year-old makes $280,000 annually.

[From The Herald Bulletin via Hollywood Life]

This explains the various new cars and spending sprees that Amber and Gary have been going on recently. In Touch reports this week that Gary has been going out to local strip clubs and regularly drops $200 a night on drinks alone. He recently purchased a new Dodge Charger, and dropped $6k on a trip to Vegas. Amber bought herself a new Dodge Magnum, along with reportedly paying for her boyfriend Clint’s rent and taking him on shopping sprees.

Meanwhile Gary has asked that Amber’s no contact order with him be lifted, but it’s not like he’s clamoring to see the mother of his child. E! Online reports that it’s probably more about ensuring he gets face time on MTV – and more cash to pay for his toys.

Amber has been reunited with her daughter, Leah, who was brought to her home by Child Protective Services on Tuesday after she was released from jail. Leah stayed overnight with Amber and was picked up by CPS and escorted to Gary’s house the next day. If Amber is convicted of any of the felonies she’s accused of, she could lose custody of Leah.

TMZ reports that a hearing has been scheduled for January 19 to determine Leah’s placement. They also have an audio recording of Gary Shirley telling a girlfriend named Ashley that Amber attacked him recently, and that Ashley should always say “no comment” to the media. It’s clear that either Shirley or his buddy made the recording and released it to TMZ. These idiotic kids are making a lot of money by fighting on camera and ignoring their toddler. At least Leah has two grandmothers that live nearby and can care for her.

Photos are from 12/11/10. Credit: Fame Pictures